Safety Engineering Company Smith Flow Control Celebrates Twenty-Five Years

November 2010

Smith Flow Control (SFC) celebrates twenty-five years of operation this month, providing engineered safety systems for hazardous valve operations in the Oil & Gas and chemical processing industries since 1985.

Since its inception SFC has had a great deal of influence in the implementation of safety guidelines for valve operation in the Oil & Gas industry. SFC is responsible for introducing the coded-card linear-key concept, developing a range modular key-operated interlocks that regulate operating procedures on host process equipment. Typical applications include every form of valve (including motorised and instrument valves), switches, vessel closures, access guards, pressure and temperature sensing systems and rail/road/sea tanker loading systems. SFC’s solutions in hazardous processes reduce the scope for operator error and ensure safe continuous plant operation.

Most offshore installations in the North Sea have been equipped with SFC systems as well as the majority of related onshore processing facilities throughout Europe. By 1990, SFC became the generic term for key interlock safety systems in the international Oil & Gas industry and its client base now includes most of the major operating companies in all five continents.

Today SFC continues to be managed by its founders, who remain committed to providing quality assured safety products that protect lives and prevent accidents by eliminating human error. Mike Smith, Founder and Vice-Chairman of SFC said “In principle Smith Flow Control has stayed the same; our guiding principles, our people and in essence, our products. Our greatest success story has been our influence in the Oil & Gas markets, promoting the principles of interlocking for pig launchers and receivers.”

Smith Flow Control Specifically developed a coded-card key interlock system to ensure the total isolation of pig trap vessels. These key interlocks mechanically prove their ‘closed and isolated’ status that enables venting and draining of pig trap vessels before the opening of closures for loading or unloading operations. These principles have been adopted by UK pipeline regulators, Operating Companies and integrated into international standards such as API (American Petrochemical Institute) and ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers).

Mike commented: “We are very proud of what we have achieved over the years and the contributions we have made to the safety of workers in the Oil & Gas and related industries. For 25 years Smith Flow Control has never failed to provide a viable technical solution to a client’s safety operating problem.”

Smith Flow Control is a Halma Company. Halma makes products for hazard detection and life protection and is a market leader in specialist electronic, safety and environmental technologies. Visit the Halma website at www.halma.com